Four drivers to watch at NASCAR Chicago Street Race

This Sunday, the NASCAR Cup Series makes its way to downtown Chicago for the second annual Grant Park 165 Chicago Street Race.

Shane van Gisbergen did the unthinkable in the inaugural event last July, taking the checkered flag in his Cup Series debut. van Gisbergen is once again in the field, this time driving the No. 16 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing. The New Zealand native enters Sunday’s race as one of the favorites and one of Dustin Long of NBC Sports‘ drivers to watch.

van Gisbergen has been competing full-time in the Xfinity Series this season. Through 17 starts, he sits 13th in the points standings with four top 10s and two top fives. He secured back-to-back checkered flags at Portland and Sonoma. van Gisbergen has competed in three Cup Series races this season, his best finish of 20th coming at COTA. van Gisbergen has started on the front row in each of the three Xfinity Series race on road courses this season.

The biggest threat in thwarting van Gisbergen’s efforts of going back-to-back? That would be Christopher Bell, whose No. 20 Toyota has been the fastest in recent weeks. Bell has led nearly 30% of laps in the last six races combined and compiled victories at Charlotte and New Hampshire. Last year at Chicago, he led a race-high 37-of-78 laps.

Chicago Street Race favorites include Tyler Reddick, Kyle Larson

Tyler Reddick is another driver who has to be considered one of the favorites given both his current form and history on road courses. Reddick has tallied top-10 finishes in five of his last six starts, including a P3 finish at Nashville this past Sunday. In his last 12 starts at road courses, Reddick has 10 top 10s. He finished in the top three of both stages at Chicago last year before getting into the tire barriers and finishing 28th.

Long’s final driver to watch is Kyle Larson, who typically finds himself near the front of the field on a weekly basis. That was the case at Nashville until he ran out of gas during the overtime period. His most recent victory came on a road course at Sonoma last month, and he finished P4 last year at Chicago.

Chicago is also another opportunity for several drivers to clinch their spot in the playoffs. Bubba Wallace, Alex Bowman, Michael McDowell and Kyle Busch are all on the playoff bubble, and could certainly use a win at Chicago.